TechnologyForEveryClass - Foreign Languages

Content Area	Foreign Languages - Spanish
Curriculum Standard	Ohio Content Standard: Communication 8th Grade - Communicate in languages other than English. Indicator 2. Express, discuss and support feelings, emotions or opinions about familiar topics.
Technology	Students will use Skype to communicate with students in Spain.
Description	Skype is a software that allows for free webcast communication across the Internet. Students will hold the first of what will become weekly Skype sessions with their peers in Spain to discuss current world events, cultural similarities and differences, and share their opinions using Spanish. The classroom teacher will guide the students in creating a set of discussion questions for each session.
Supporting Resource	Research shows that a combination of face-to-face and electronic teaching methods allows for expansion of the classroom environment and helps optimize learning (Egbert, 2009). Students gain language and communication skills when they interact with native speakers. Twenty-first century students need to have a global world view; Skype is a technology that can help students think globally (Foote, 2008). APA Citation Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall. Foote, C. (2008). See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6515247.html
Tried and True/ New and Innovative	Skype would be considered a new and innovative use of technology in the classroom. It is a relatively new technology - beta release in 2003 - that has caught the eye of business; broadcast media; and educators. The Skype web site (www.skype.com) has a number of blogs that users have written to showcase their use of Skype for a variety of purposes.

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